This invention relates to devices for the protection of shoes from skuffing and, in particular, to heel protectors.
The problem addressed by this invention is the skuffing, marring, scratching and general disfiguration of the heels and back portions of shoes, particularly the right shoe, caused by abrasive contact with the floor of a vehicle. In the United States, the right shoe is marred much more than the left because of the fact that the right foot is used to operate the accelerator pedal of the vehicle. In operating the accelerator pedal, the right heel is typically resting on the floor carpet or floor mat. The resting point forms a fulcrum about which the foot is rotated during the operation of the accelerator pedal. If the foot is maintained in a vertical position then only the very base of the heel becomes marred, but most drivers have a tendency to rotate their foot slightly to the right which is more of a relaxed position for the foot and leg. As the foot rotates to the right, the fulcrum point shifts with the result that the heel ends up slightly to the left of the pedal and the fulcrum point becomes the top of the heel. As the pedal is operated the entire heel and a portion of the shoe is in contact with the floor. If the floor was carpeted and completely clean, there would be no problem, but most automobile carpets somehow acquire dust and dirt and sand which all act as an abrasive and which skuff and otherwise mar the heel and shoe. It is, therefore, highly desirable to provide a device which protects the aforesaid portion of a driver's shoes or boots and which is easily applied onto the heel and easily removed.
This invention presents a device with the desired characteristics of complete protection for the heel and shoe, ease of application onto the shoe, boot or heel, and easy removal.
Other heel protective devices have been presented in the past. U.S. Pat. No. 1,571,466 by E. Barthes presents a heel protector which is held in place by a U-shaped leaf spring. U.S. Pat. No. 3,095,659 by A McClellam presents a shoe protector which is also held in place by a U-shaped spring. U.S. Pat. No. 3,851,412 by Vogele et al. presents a heel protector cover which is also held in place by a U-shaped spring. Two (2) variations are presented, a protector for a man's shoe and a protector for a woman's high heels. U.S. Pat. No. Re. 19,543 by N. F. Winget presents a guard for shoe heels which also uses a U-shaped spring to hold the guard in place. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 192,208 presents a shoe heel protector which appears to have three (3) shaped spring ribs which hold the device in place. United Kingdom Pat. No. 384,210 by Gierach presents a protective cap for footwear which is held in place on a shoe by the hands of a steel bow which are inwardly bent and bear against the heel breast. A Republic of Germany Pat. No. 458,992 and a French Pat. No. 640,150 both present heel protectors which are held in place by U-shaped springs or metallic bow-shaped inserts. All of the patents mentioned in this paragraph have similar drawbacks. They all involve the use of some metallic spring either a U-shaped spring or a bow spring. Furthermore, the heel protectors were contoured to closely match the type of heel targeted for protection. Such contouring is probably a necessity of using the spring inserts to hold them in place.
United Kingdom Pat. No. 275,019 presents a protector for the backs of shoes and boots which is held in place, not by a steel spring, but rather by the side cheeks of the protector which tend to close in and grip the shoe or boot. The major drawback of this invention is that it does not entirely protect the heel of the shoe since the heel is exserted from the protector through a heel-shaped orifice.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,217,430 by J. Novick presents two (2) types of heel protectors, one for a man's shoe and one for a woman's high heel. The protectors are closely contoured to the shape of the target heels. It is obvious that the man's protector is not interchangeable with the woman's protector. Furthermore, the high heel is not entirely protected.
This invention presents a universal footwear protector for practically all sizes of heeled footwear including shoes, boots, and high heels. It is a one piece, molded and therefore easily manufactured device which can be modified by the user to fit his or her particular shoe configuration and heel size. Furthermore, this invention does not require the use of any sort of resilient inserts such as the U-shaped springs and the bow springs used in the previously discussed patents.
Other advantages and attributes of this invention will be readily apparent upon a reading of the text hereinafter.